Village of San Jose de Parandpura

During our trip we stopped at the village of San Jose de Parandpura to visit a shaman. The mayor met us and talked about the village then took us on a tour. There was a first class carpenter who had built a scale model of our ship ”the aquamarine” that was correct down to the chairs in the dining room and the lounge. Really first class work. Next to his house there was a 45 foot boat that he was working on. We continued down the main street to the water treatment “plant” that International Expeditions (our tour company) supplied the village. It was a 4 story tower with a settling tank on the top (to allow the river silt to settle), a tank for chemical sterilization on the next level, filters (charcoal, etc) on the next level, and the tap at the bottom. Crude, but effective. Each family gets 20 liters of water per day to drink, and cook with. Most of the houses have thatch roofs and plank walls with no running water, electricity, toilets, etc. The poverty is amazing, however it bonds the community together so all will help a single family and there is little theft. We also saw the makings of a dugout canoe. They had rough cut the shape from a tree trunk and had filled it water to soften the wood. Then they would drain the water and finish the inside and streach it to the proper width. In 8 more days it would be complete.

Then we visited the vilage shaman, where he talked about his education (8 years shaman training by his dad, 17 to 25), how old he was (73), how many children he had 10, with 7 surviving, grandchildren (over 20), the training that went in to be a shaman as well as some of his cures as well as his vision potion (ayanhuasca) which lasts for 2 months and it needed to see how to cure the illnesses. The he performed a blessing for health, happiness, & love over each one of us with a chant and tobacco smoke.

Shamanism. - There is a difference between a witch doctor and a shaman. A shaman is responsible for treating the sick. A witch doctor uses black or red magic to put curses on people. Both have periods of training that extend from 8 to 10 years. Witch Doctors live isolated from communities and training (as briefly discussed) requires you to raise 2 dogs and a black cat; at the end of 3rd year you kill the dog and offer its heart to evil spirits; end of 4th year you kill the cat and offer its heart to evil spirits; end of 5th year you kill the dog and offer its heart to evil spirits; they rob graves to get parts for their rituals; they make pacts with evil spirits; they demand tribute (extortion) from people for not cursing them. Shamans on the other hand are trained to help people and they live within the community. They train for 8 to 10 years under an experienced shaman. To help with diagnosis they drink a potion main from a vine called Ayanuasca (dead vine) as the main component (Harmaline) as well as other pants to make the potion which is an hallucinogenic which gives them visions. Analysis of the potion indicated it contains Tryptaine, Scopolamine, Atropine, Meteloidine, and Beta-carboline. During their training they keep a special diet (salt & fish) to purify themselves over the whole 10 year period, as well as abstain from sex and alcohol. They learn how to use jungle plants (bark, routs, leaves, sap, etc) for cures. They also pray to the plants to gain understanding of how to use it. Once a full shaman, they also work in the community as farmers, fisherman, etc. and being a shaman is only part of their support to the community. They generally will travel to nearby villages when needed.